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This week on National Geographic Weekend host Boyd Matson speaks with guests about surviving 47 days adrift at sea, turning waste into profit, a unique trek through Kenya, giant squid, surviving an Alaskan winter, following in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, kayaking the Haida Gwaii Islands, the movement of jellyfish, and leading kids on a trip to Machu Picchu.

HOUR 1

• When Louis Zamperini’s plane crashed in the Pacific during World War II, he spent 47 days adrift on a raft. He was then rescued, only to end up in a prisoner of war camp for two more years, facing hunger, humiliation, back-breaking work, and daily beatings. Laura Hillenbrand recounts the ordeal in her book Unbroken. Zamperini shares with Boyd his incredible story of survival.

• National Geographic Emerging Explorer Ashley Murray tells Boyd about her groundbreaking work in Ghana, transforming a crude human waste treatment plant into a profitable fish farming business while also giving the Ghanaian people access to a cleaner way of life.

• Africa is famous for its abundant wildlife, vast savannahs, and beautiful mountains. However, these treasures are under attack. Wild spaces are shrinking and wildlife populations are being depleted. National Geographic Emerging Explorer and Executive Director of Wildlife DirectPaula Kahumbu seeks to preserve these wild spaces through a number of projects. She tells Boyd about a unique 100-mile trek available to tourists that takes them through some of Kenya’s most beautiful wilderness, and shares the importance of the tourism industry in Kenya.

• National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Mike Fay recently traded in his Africa outfits of shorts and T-shirts for jackets, boots, and gloves to withstand the freezing weather of Alaska. He spent the dead of winter there in preparation for a 2,600-mile walk across the region that he hopes will highlight the area before it is dramatically altered by mining and industrialization.

• With the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s expedition to Machu Picchu approaching, author Mark Adams decided to retrace Bingham’s path. Adams recounts the adventure that included traversing pathways over 1,000-foot drops, accumulating blisters, and spending the night in a tent for the first time since he was a kid, in his book Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time. Adams joins Boyd to talk about the book and the expedition.

• National Geographic Young Explorer Julia Dewitttraveled to Haida Gwaii to study the culture of the Haida people in an attempt to conserve it. The expedition also looked at the potential risks of logging and the effect it would have on the economic future of these islands in British Columbia.

Listen to National Geographic Weekend

When Louis Zamperini’splane crashed in the Pacific during World War II, he spent 47 days adrift on a raft. He was then rescued, only to end up in a prisoner of war camp for two more years, facing hunger, humiliation, back-breaking work, and daily beatings. Laura Hillenbrand recounts the ordeal in her book Unbroken. Zamperini shares with Boyd his incredible story of survival.

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Ashley Murray tells Boyd about her groundbreaking work in Ghana, transforming a crude human waste treatment plant into a profitable fish farming business while also giving the Ghanaian people access to a cleaner way of life.

Africa is famous for its abundant wildlife, vast savannahs, and beautiful mountains. However, these treasures are under attack. Wild spaces are shrinking and wildlife populations are being depleted. National Geographic Emerging Explorer and Executive Director of Wildlife Direct Paula Kahumbu seeks to preserve these wild spaces through a number of projects. She tells Boyd about a unique 100-mile trek available to tourists that takes them through some of Kenya’s most beautiful wilderness, and shares the importance of the tourism industry in Kenya.

National Geographic Explorer-in-ResidenceMike Fay recently traded in his Africa outfits of shorts and T-shirts for jackets, boots, and gloves to withstand the freezing weather of Alaska. He spent the dead of winter there in preparation for a 2,600-mile walk across the region that he hopes will highlight the area before it is dramatically altered by mining and industrialization.

With the 100th anniversary of Hiram Bingham’s expedition to Machu Picchu approaching, author Mark Adams decided to retrace Bingham’s path. Adams recounts the adventure that included traversing pathways over 1,000-foot drops, accumulating blisters, and spending the night in a tent for the first time since he was a kid, in his book Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time. Adams joins Boyd to talk about the book and the expedition.

National Geographic Young Explorer Julia Dewitt traveled to Haida Gwaii to study the culture of the Haida people in an attempt to conserve it. The expedition also looked at the potential risks of logging and the effect it would have on the economic future of these islands in British Columbia.

Bioengineer and National Geographic Emerging ExplorerKakani Katija studies motion in the ocean caused by the littlest of creatures. Katija tells Boyd how jellyfish make waves, and not just when they sting.